After little more than an informal examination, the doctor concluded that Mr.Malcolm Smith’s organism was infested with a particularly virulent strain of the influenza virus. “The virus has infiltrated every part of your system, I’m afraid, and its pernicious influx has inflicted a great deal of damage,” he said. “Your present state of inertia is inherent in this type of condition, and you’re in a very serious state.”
做完非正式的檢查后,醫(yī)生得出結(jié)論,馬爾科姆.史密斯的機(jī)體大量滋生了一種非常致命的流感病毒。“恐怕病毒已經(jīng)滲入你的身體的每部分,它有害的匯集已經(jīng)造成很大的破壞,”他說(shuō)。“你現(xiàn)在的懶惰狀態(tài)是這種情況所固有的,你的情況很嚴(yán)重。”
“Please don’t let me die now, doctor,”Malcolm Smith whispered, barely audibly. “I am an influential person and still have a great deal of important work to do. I shall see to it that you will inherit a substantial sum under my will, if you save me.”
“醫(yī)生,請(qǐng)不要讓我現(xiàn)在就死,” 馬爾科姆.史密斯低聲說(shuō),幾乎聽不到他的聲音。“我是個(gè)有影響的人,還有很多重要的工作要做。如果你救了我,我保證根據(jù)我的遺囑你將繼承很大一筆錢。”
“I shall do everything in my power, I promise!”replied the good doctor. “I don’t wish to unduly inflate your hopes, but I have developed a quite ingenious concoction with a goodly number of secret ingredients, which may well infuse some vitality into your system. Alas, in these times of runaway inflation, being a beneficiary under your will is one thing, but what my bank account would really need is an infusion of cash now. If I am correctly informed, you used to inhabit that grand estate by the lake before you became ill, and recently sold your shareholding in International Consolidated Inc. and are not exactly short of ready cash. So how about your writing me a cheque for 20,000 dollars to begin with?”
“我保證,我將盡力而為!”這位良醫(yī)回答道。“我不想讓你的希望不適當(dāng)?shù)嘏蛎?,但我已研制了一種精巧的合劑,它由很多秘密的成分組成,將給你的身體注入一些活力。唉,像現(xiàn)在這種通貨膨脹失去控制的時(shí)候,成為你的遺囑的受益人是一回事,但我的銀行賬目最需要的是現(xiàn)在注入現(xiàn)金。如果我了解的情況沒(méi)有錯(cuò),你生病前住在湖邊豪華的莊園里,最近你出售了國(guó)際統(tǒng)一有限公司的股權(quán),現(xiàn)在也并不怎么缺現(xiàn)錢。給我一張20,000美元的支票作為開始,怎么樣?”
“You are infringing on my rights as a patient,” Malcolm Smith objected feebly.
“你侵犯了我作為病人的權(quán)利,”馬爾科姆.史密斯無(wú)力地抗議道。
“Ah, we must not be so inflexible, must we now?” responded the doctor. “You see, as long as you are an inhabitant of this hospital, I am in charge of your destiny, do you understand?”
“啊,我們現(xiàn)在不能那么頑固,對(duì)嗎?”醫(yī)生回答。“你看,只要你這個(gè)醫(yī)院的住院戶我就支配著你的命運(yùn),懂嗎?”
Words
infest vt. 騷擾,大批滋生
infiltrate vt. 使透過(guò),滲透
inflation n. 通貨膨脹
inflate vt. 使膨脹,使充氣
inflexible adj. 堅(jiān)定的,頑固的
inflict v. 造成,使遭受(痛苦、損傷等)
influential adj. 有影響的,有權(quán)勢(shì)的
influenza n. 流行性感冒
influx n. 流入,匯集
informal adj. 不拘禮節(jié)的,隨便的,非正式的
informed adj. 受過(guò)教育的,見多識(shí)廣的,了解情況的
infringe vt. 侵犯,違反
infuse vt. 注入,灌輸
infusion n. 注入
ingenious adj. 有發(fā)明天才的,靈巧的,設(shè)計(jì)獨(dú)特而精巧的
ingredient n. 配料,成分
inhabit vt. 居住于,棲息于
inhabitant n. 居民,住戶
inherit vt. 繼承